I just love the taste of fresh bear-leek. Try this easy 15 minute recipe.
BEAR-LEEK PASTA WITH CHERRY TOMOATOES
For 2
250 g pasta (orichetti)
100 g cherry tomatoes, quartered
4 Tbsp self made bear-leek pesto (see https://thenicifarm.com/bears-leek-pesto-with-cashew-nuts-barlauch-pesto-mit-cashew-nussen/)
Salt
Freshly grated parmesan
Cook pasta in salt water until al dente. In a large bowl mix al ingredients and serve with fresh parmesan.
Spring time is on and so is BBQ season! Here is my special secret recipe for my spicy-sweet BBQ sauce that will make you lick your fingers twice…
NICI’S HONEY-WHISKEY BBQ SAUCE (FOR BBQ CHICKEN OR RIBS)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, very finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 Tbsp honey
10 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp apple vinegar
1 Tbsp Worchester sauce or soy sauce
¼ Tsp cumin
¼ Tsp cayenne
(optional: ¼ Tsp liquid smoke)
1Tsp Whiskey
For BBQ CHICKEN:
1 chicken in pieces
In a sauce pan heat olive oil and cook onion until soft but not browned. Add all ingredients and cook for 5 minutes until thickened. Use right away or store in jar glass for a few weeks.
For BBQ chicken:
Marinate chicken pieces in refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Place on BBQ for 30-45 minutes over medium heat or bake on baking paper lined baking pan at 180 °C for 30-45 minutes turning chicken parts every 15 minutes.
Serve on sweet potatoes and asparagus which you add to the oven 20 minutes before the end.
It is spring!! Sun, birds and bears leek are back! I just love the spring time! This is one of the first light spring recipes you should definitely try. Let the sun in!
BEARS LEEK PESTO WITH CASHEW NUTS (BÄRLAUCH PESTO MIT CASHEW NÜSSEN)
100 g bears leek (Bärlauch)
100 g cashew nuts
50 ml good quality olive oil
1 Tsp salt
Freshly ground pepper
In a blender blend together ingredients until it forms a smooth paste. Either directly use it or put it the pesto into a jar and cover with extra olive oil. The pesto will be good for a few weeks when refrigerated. Use to make delicious pasta with cocktail tomatoes or as a wonderful bread spread on chiabatta.
This is a light and pasta variant that awakens your summer feelings.
RUCOLA SPAGHETTI WITH A TOMATO DUO
200 g rucola
200 g cherry tomatoes, quartered
50 g dried tomatoes, cut in small cubes
2 garlic cloves, in slices
1 medium hot dried chili (optional)
250 g Spaghetti
50 ml olive oil
Salt, pepper
Bring water to a boil and cook pasta al dente. When the spaghetti are done, drain, quickly mix all ingredients in a large bowl and season to taste. Done!
This is a typical Austrian soup and so easy to make! (And the absolutely best meal if somebody had a hangover)
AUSTRIAN FRITTATEN SOUP
For 2:
For the quick soup:
½ L water
1 ½ cubes chicken broth (only good quality ones…my favorite are from Alnatura, DM)
(Of course the original is with a chicken soup made from scratch but with good quality broth cubes it is pretty good as well)
For the Frittaten:
1 egg
1 heaped Tbsp flour
50 ml milk
1 Tsp parsley
2 Tbsp oil
Bring the water with broth to a boil. Mix Frittaten ingredients with a fork until a smooth batter has formed. Heat oil in a large pan. When hot fill batter into pan and sway around to cover the whole bottom of the pan. The Frittate should be thin like a crepe. Fry on medium heat until browned flipping once to brown other side. Roll up and cut into thin slices. Serve soup with Fritatten and freshly cut chives
Low fat, quickly made and vegan…AND delicious!!
VEGAN COCONUT-BISCUIT WITH RASPBERRY FILLING
360 g spelt flour
4 Tbsp flour
½ Tbsp salt
100 g coconut flakes
160 g white sugar
½ Tsp vanilla sugar
Grated lemon zest from 1 organic lemon
60 g neutral (rape-seed) oil
500 ml sparkling mineral water
250 g raspberry jam (vegan)
3 Tbsp sugar and coconut flakes for outside
Preheat oven to 180°C. Mix all dry ingredients and then all wet ingredients until a smooth batter forms. Fill onto a baking paper lined baking sheet and spread to cover the entire dish. Bake for 10-15 minutes. While still warm turn biscuit onto a sugar and coconut covered baking sheet. Carefully remove baking sheet from top and spread biscuit evenly with jam. Roll up lengthwise and cut into 2 cm thick rolls.
HOW TO CARE FOR AN ORCHID
It is the queen of all flowers and it’s beauty is enchanting. There are a few things one should know to keep her happy.
Where to keep your orchid:
Put your orchid in a bright place without too strong direct sunlight. An east window sill is perfect.
How to water an orchid:
She needs very little water and HATES WET FEET AND LEAVES. Only fill up her pot with water up to the rim every two weeks (once a month is fine too), let stand for 20 minutes and then drain by lifting up the inner pot and removing the water in the covering pot. Once you see the flower stalk coming out water once a week until the flowers open. This will happen about 1-2 times a year. Use a liquid fertilizer once a year.
When to cut the orchid:
After the flowers have fallen off the stalk will dry out. At this time point the first leaf will dry too. Cut it off. Only cut the old stalk when you see the new stalk coming out.
This is a special cake for two of my very special colleges. Happy birthday!
COCONUT-RASPBERRY CAKE (VEGETARISCHE KOKOS-HIMBEER TORTE)
For the coconut cake biscuit:
180 g spelt flour
2 Tbsp flour
½ Tbsp salt
50 g coconut flakes
80 g white sugar
½ Tsp vanilla sugar
Grated lemon zest from ½ organic lemon
30 g neutral (rape-seed) oil
240 ml sparkling mineral water
For raspberry-coconut cream:
250 g raspberry pulp without seeds (from 300 g mashed and strained raspberrys)
200 ml whipped heavy cream (whipped)
100 g coconut milk
250 g natural raspberry yoghurt (or 200 g plain yoghurt with 50 g raspberry jam)
1 1/2 Tsp agar-agar
40 g powdered sugar
2 Tsp starch
For decoration:
Coconut flakes
For the biscuit:
Preheat oven to 180°C. Mix all dry ingredients and the all wet ingredients until a smooth batter forms. Fill into a spring form (22 cm) lined with a baking paper. Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool completely and remove baking paper. Set back into the newly baking paper lined spring form.
For the cream:
Mix half the yoghurt with coconut milk and agar-agar in a large pot and cook for 2 minutes. Mix rest of yoghurt with whipped cream and raspberry pulp. Under constant whisking let this mixture slowly run into the hot yoghurt until everything is combined. Fold in whipped cream and starch. Let cool for at least 2 hours at a cold place. Remove the spring form and sprinkle with coconut flakes.
Good morning little chives!
Happy Birthday to my good friend Arnold Scherabon!
COCONUT-CHOCOLATE CRUMBLE CAKE
For batter:
¾ cup coconut flakes
1 1/2 cups spelt flour
1 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Tsp baking powder
½ Tsp baking soda (Natron)
½ Tsp salt
1/3 cup apple sauce
1/3 cup rape-seed oil
1 cup water
For the streusels:
½ cup spelt flour
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ Tsp salt1
1/3 cup margarine
1/3 cup coconut flakes
Preheat oven to 180 °C. Mix streusel ingredients with the fingers to form streusels. Mix all other ingredients, dry first then add wet, until a homogenous batter forms. Fill into oiled and four dusted 22 cm spring baking form, sprinkle with streusels and bake for 45 minutes.